25 Vintage Deals under $100 for December 2014

With a ton on my plate (no, not my literal plate...that will happen come dinnertime on the 25th! :D) this month, I didn't know if an edition of 25 Vintage Deals Under $100.00 would be in the cards or not. I haven't set a hard and fast rule that one must appear here every month, but I do really enjoy putting them together and know hat many of you love to view and shop from them, so I try to pen a new one every few weeks.

Piles of greetings to send, shopping to do, presents to wrap, dealing with ongoing winter viruses (and my very annoying ear infection that’s into its seventh week now *sigh!*), work, and cooking + baking up a festive storm all result in precious few available minutes to sit down and write a new post this large. And yet it was this last order of business, the festive holiday baking and cooking that spurred me on to indeed create an new Vintage Deals post for December.

You see, I knew that I didn't want a generic Christmas theme, as I'd actually covered that earlier this year in my Christmas in July edition of this post and, let's be frank, it's probably too late for anything ordered now to arrive by Christmas Day anyhow (unless some mega rush shipping was involved!). Instead, it struck me, I would shine the spotlight on cooking and baking related entries, some of which have a festive holiday season feel, others that are perfect the whole year round.

So sit back, put those overworked feet up, grab a freshly baked gingerbread man, and join me for a few minutes as we delve into a delightful batch of vintage and timelessly classic finds that not just fabulous unto themselves, but also just what the doctor ordered (price wise, I mean) when it comes helping out to our already drained wallets this month!

1. Keep all of Jolly Old St. Nicolas's favourites close to hand come Christmastime with this marvelously sweet, very vintage appropriate black Scottie dog cookie jar. On sale at the time of writing for £20.00 from BHS.



2. Give your hot cocoa, rocky road bars, fudge, or other holiday sweet treat an extra shot of seasonal fabulousness with these scrumptious looking handmade gourmet limited edition Cranberry Marshmallows, which have the added bonus of being gluten-free (yay!). $8.66 for six extra large marshmallows from Zurk Boutique.



3. This has got to be one of the cutest modern does vintage small kitchen appliances I've ever seen. Not only is it fabulously mid-century looking, it’s three appliances - a small toaster oven, a griddle, and a coffee maker - in one. Seems like the kind of spiffy modern gadget any 1950s family would have loved back in the day as much as your household will now. MaxiMatic EBK-200 Elite Cuisine 3-in-1 Multifunction Breakfast Deluxe Toaster Oven/Griddle/Coffee Maker, $39.99 from Amazon.



4. So darn cute you may want to wear it as an overskirt out and about during the holiday season, this 1950s apron boasts a darling Christmas kitten and candy print and is just too sweet for words. It measures 20.5 inches long and is $26.00 from Edel Vintage.




5. In the mood to add some extra fun to your meal time repertoire? Then these delightfully cool Recipe Dice are for you! Twelve classic looking wooden dice with various ingredients on them are housed in a glass jar, ready to be shaken and put to creative use when you're not sure what to whip up for a given meal. Families with kids are bound to particularly enjoy this charming kitchen helper. $16.00 for the set from Leaf Cutter Designs.



6. Serve a cheese that is always a hit at parties and intimate gatherings alike with this absolutely lovely, very classic looking little red ceramic brie baker (that measures 7 inches in diameter and 3 tall) and handy bamboo spreader. $13.00 CND from Chapters Indigo.



7. Looking too infuse your sweet and savoury dishes alike with an even richer flavour that will leave your guests begging for the recipe? May I suggest this thoroughly scrumptious sounding Woodford Reserve Bourbon Smoked Sugar, which I keep thinking would be a sensational topping sprinkled on your favourite Christmas shortbread cookies. $10.00 for 5 ounce jar.




8. Cheer on Christmas, ring in the New Year, or celebrate any other special event this holiday season with a recipe from 1955's Merrie Christmas Drink Book (note, this is the 1980s reprint), which includes 63 pages of delicious libations to keep your belly warm and your spirits chipper all winter long. $14.00 from Belinda's Style Shop.



9. I am thoroughly smitten with these beautiful little vintage looking earthenware spice jars from Sur La Table that come with cork lids. They would as at home in Victorian kitchen as one from the 1940s or today. 2.5 x 3.25 inch jars in various colours, $6.95 each.



10. Ho-hum kitchen towels got you or your culinary space down? Fear not! Thanks to the brand Sin in Linen, you can now deck your kitchen out with fabulously fun classic tattoo (and similarly styled) art print linens like this gorgeous Garden Geisha towel that features a peacock and koi fish. $9.00 for a 26 x 18 inch 100% cotton tea towel.



11. Forgot or didn't have time to make your Christmas cake this year? Thankfully there's always Christmas Cake in Can to the rescue! With it's charming vintage style packaging that's available in various colours, this tin comes chalked full of everything you need - other than water, which you add yourself - to quickly whip up a delicious Christmas cake on the fly. £5.00 for a 70g tin of cake mix from Not on the High Street.



12. I dare you to look at this uber cute pair of vintage Mr. and Mrs. Snowman salt and pepper shakers and not smile ear-to-ear. They're perfect for your table all winter long and just the thing you need to inject more kitsch into your holiday season. $8.00 from Francesca's Favorites.




13. Winter just wouldn't be the same without a mug (or twenty!) of steaming hot, silky smooth hot chocolate. Long after the cocoa powder has vanished, you'll want to hold onto the serenely beautiful tin that Moonstruck's hot chocolate comes in - it's a seriously lovely work of art unto itself! $12.00 for a 9.5 oz (269 gram) tin of Classic Hot Cocoa.




14. The first little set of kitchen utensils I bought when Tony and I moved to Canada together in early 2006 (and had to start from scratch again entirely on the household front) was an inexpensive red melamine one. Though they do show their age a bit, all the pieces are still intact and going strong, but were they to give up the ghost, I would love to replace them with a great mid-century vintage set like this Bakelite handled four-piece one that is so timelessly classic and practical. $28.05 (at the time of writing) from Alex's Pretty Vintage.




15. The New Zealand based brand Abstract Designs makes some seriously covetable home decor pieces, very much including their awesome vintage looking recipe wall art recipe boards, such as this great black and white recipe for scones. There isn't a kitchen around that wouldn't delight in the old school boost a sign like this (the company has numerous other similar looking recipe wall art signs, too) would deliver. $32.00 (NZ) for a 190mm x 280mm sign.



16. Sweet and fun with a great country vibe to it, this lovely vintage looking gingham print metal Handmade Kitchen Timer is a useful item to have, not only for cooking, but any time you need to track a certain (short) period of time. $16.00 from Urban Outfitters.




17. This entry goes out to all those in warmer climates or who enjoy ice coffee the whole year round. Grady's offers up their well known Bean Bags (bags of premixed iced coffee ingredients) in seriously old school looking tins that are sure to appeal to vintage fans far and near. $12.00 for a tin that makes 10 cups worth of iced coffee.




18. Looking for an impossibly chic, fabulously pretty set of measuring cups? Found. Thank you, Anthropologie, as always, you win at selling completely covetable items of all kinds. $24.00 for a four-piece set of bone china measuring cups (plus a metal lid).



19. Of all the items listed in today's post, it was this immensely lovely little set of vintage matching fork and spoon brooches that tempted me the most (but I've refrained...for now! :)). $16.00 for the pair from Rabbit Heart Designs.




20. Foodie on your holiday shopping list or one yourself? They - or you - will delight in this gourmet food stuffed stocking from hip culinary website Mouth, which is brimming with lip-lickingly fantastic treats that are sure to make it feel like Christmas on your tongue all year long (or at least for however long each tasty food lasts). Indie Christmas Stocking, $60.00.




21. Equal parts adorable and kitschy, this charming vintage looking ceramic owl kitchen canister (aka, utensil holder) is sure be a hoot for any room in the house (you could, for example, use it to store makeup brushes in the powder room or pens in an office). $16.00 from Urban Outfitters.




22. I let out an audible squeal when I spotted this immensely cute handmade plate of Christmas cookies necklace on Etsy recently. It's festive, kawaii, and sure to be a major conversation starter whenever you wear it. $32.00 from Bite Me Not (who also has lots of other awesome Christmas and non-holiday season related food jewelry).



23. I'm such a sucker for pretty packaging. Throw a vintage-y looking design into the mix and I'm as good as sold. While I'm the first to admit that $11.00 is a lot for a single bar of this thoroughly tasting sounding cherry almond chocolate, if you save the beautiful packaging to use as a display/decor piece (or craft supplies) afterwards, that might make it a bit easier to swallow (and justify as an addition to a Vintage Deals post :D). 3.5 ounce chocolate bar, $11.00 from Farm to People.




24.A bevy of flocked Santas smile at you from these delightfully fun vintage paper Christmas coasters that almost too cute to actually use for their intended purpose. $8.00 for a set of twelve paper coasters from Trixie Devereaux.



25. Without a doubt one the quickest ways to inject festive cheer into any home is a with a vintage Christmas tablecloth like this gorgeous pine cone, holly, rose, and poinsettia print fabric one that measures 70 inches x about 56 inches. $20.00 from Kerry Can.

{Please click on a specific item, or the link in the description below it, to be taken to its respective listing.}

♥ ♥ ♥

I'm one of those people who love to cook and bake. I can stand in front of an oven, chopping board, or prep counter until my knees buckle and have a smile on my face the whole time. Though I do periodically entertain family and friends, for most of the year, I'm just get to cook for Tony and I, so when the holiday season rolls around and tons of get-togethers as well as larger meals and oodles of sweet treats are in the cards, I can't get enough of baking and cooking up a storm.

From fudge to fruitcake, mincemeat to mashed potatoes, there isn't a moment of Christmas cookery I don't eagerly look forward to and whipping up timeless favourites and new recipes alike is always made all the more enjoyable thanks to things like vintage aprons, mid-century crockery, old school cookbooks, and at the end of the day, one of my glamorously cozy 1950s bed jackets or robes and a viewing of a timeless holiday season film like White Christmas, Miracle on 34th Street, or Meet Me in St. Louis.

Being as busy as this time of the year is, it's extra important to balance the hecticness with the simple joys of the season, one of which is certainly tucking into the fruits of your kitchen labour and delighting in the merriment that your hard work brings to everyone (including yourself) at your festive table.